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Trying to Control Through Worry

I read a story about a woman who believed her worry was a way of making sure things turned out well. During her teenage years her parents travelled to Hawaii for a vacation. She worried about the plane crashing. She worried about a tidal wave wiping them out. She worried about becoming an orphan if anything happened to them. Her list went on and on. Since her parents arrived home safe and sound, she began believing that her worry truly had something to do with their protection. She believed she had control over the future if she worried enough. She believed her worry carried great power and was helping the world run smoother. It appears that she really felt she had the power to help God out in running the universe.

When I first read this story, it sounded convoluted to me. However, when I shared this story with someone else, they said they totally understood because they had a tendency to believe this, too.

What can we do to make sure we’re not trying to help control and run the world along with God? First, we must understand that God is God and we are not. He is the only One who is in control of this universe. Then we can look at what scripture says about worry:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6, 7

Worry gets us all knotted up. A lifestyle of it can suffocate us. We don’t have to live in that place. God doesn’t want us to live in that place. We must cast all our care upon God through prayer, leaving our worries and stresses in His hands. He is more than capable of handing our burdens. He will replace our worries with a comforting peace. I know because I’ve experienced it over and over.